Courteously Seduced by an Enigmatic Duke: A Steamy Historical Regency Romance Novel

by Scarlett Osborne

  Hannah nodded and placed her hand in his, allowing him to help her to her feet. She looked down at herself and grimaced. “I’ve gone and gotten myself all dirty.”

  “Now, imagine what might have happened if we continued,” he teased.

  “Rowland!” This time, Hannah’s face didn’t go red. She laughed along with him.

  After a while, he said, “I will not be able to go riding with you at dawn for a few days.”

  Hannah looked up at him, frowning. “Why not?”

  “His Grace would like to take me hunting early tomorrow. He says he has something important he would like to speak to me about.”

  “I can’t imagine what that might be about.”

  “Perhaps it has something to do with that shameless Prince we are harboring.”

  “Rowland, please, enough!” Hannah begged, as she erupted into a fit of giggles.

  They continued to hold hands as they plunged back into the semi-darkness of the woods. Their laughter faded and they fell into a comfortable silence. Despite her embarrassment a few minutes prior, Hannah never felt more at ease with him and she truly believed he felt the same. She caught him staring at her a few times, sometimes neglecting to look away when she met his eyes. Those brown eyes shone with affection and the longer she was with him, the harder she knew it would be to leave his side tonight.

  They parted ways once they were inside. He kissed her gently on her temples, squeezing both her hands in his before he stepped away. But he didn’t leave. Instead, he watched her go, waiting until she was fully out of view. Once Hannah turned the corner, she paused for a few moments then looked back to see that he was just turning away, his long legs taking him away from her.

  She sighed longingly as she headed back to her bedchamber. Without a care, Hannah climbed into bed. But she couldn’t sleep. Not straightaway. She stayed up, staring at the ceiling, thinking on everything that happened tonight. When she did fall asleep, it was with a smile on her face.

  Chapter 24

  For the first time in a while, Rowland woke with a smile on his face. His very first thought was the beautiful auburn-haired lady with the gold and green eyes somewhere in the manor. He glanced out the window to see that it was the break of dawn and so he hoped out of the bed, eager to get dressed for riding.

  Only a few seconds later did he recall that he had to go hunting with the Duke early this morning. He had been so eager to see Hannah that he had forgotten.

  Rowland’s excitement dimmed. He liked the Duke. He was beginning to see just how much he liked the entire family, in fact, but after a night like last night, Rowland wanted nothing more than to see Hannah’s face again.

  Oh, how nice it would be to wake up in the same bed as her. Then, I would be able to see her every morning.

  Rowland remembered a time he had similar thoughts about Miss Flynn. But he felt no shame in thinking the same about Hannah. The love he had for either one was quite different.

  He had fallen in love with Miss Flynn slowly. The infatuation with her beauty had been instant, but everything else came with time. It was quite unlike the love he had for Hannah, which was sudden, overwhelming, and threatened to consume his every sense. Rowland didn’t know if he would be able to handle a rejection from Hannah the way he had from Miss Flynn, and he was happy to see that he wouldn’t need to.

  It was clear she was interested in him. From the very start, he’d noticed it, though he didn’t realize the direction of that interest until that day at the stream. He had run from it, clung to the memory of Miss Flynn, afraid of the intensity of his feelings when he was around Hannah.

  Now, he wanted to embrace every bit of it. There was no more running.

  Once he was dressed, he headed down to the study where he knew the Duke was waiting for him. He found the Duke standing by the window dressed for the hunt they were embarking on. He turned upon Rowland’s entrance.

  “Ah, Rowland, you’re here,” he greeted. “You must have gotten used to rising early with my daughter dragging you to ride every morning.”

  “And now I fear it’s a hard habit to break. Are you ready?”

  “As ready as can be.” The Duke boasted a wide and excited smile as he headed to the door, Rowland next to him. He couldn’t help his thoughts as they wandered back to Hannah, remembering how they had walked hand in hand back through the manor. Something as simple as that made his heart constrict with longing.

  Rowland and the Duke gathered their horses and their muskets and headed out to the nearby woods. It was no wonder that his mind went straight to Hannah once they were there. They even passed by the little clearing they had sat in.

  “Something seems to be on your mind, Rowland,” the Duke said, breaking into his thoughts.

  Rowland knew better than to tell him that he was growing aroused at the thought of nearly undressing his daughter last night. “I’m merely wondering why you decided for us to go hunting today.”

  “I was simply in the mood for it,” the Duke said. When they arrived at the spot he deemed decent enough, he came off his horse and began preparing his musket. “And I remembered that we haven’t really done anything together other than work. I was thinking to change that.”

  “Were you also trying to get away from Prince Viktor?”

  The Duke looked up at him in alarm. “How did you know?”

  Rowland could not help but laugh. “I could see how he drains you while we drank last night.”

  “He’s a very…lively young fellow. It’s good that he’ll be leaving soon. For all our sakes.”

  Rowland studied the Duke carefully. Though he feigned ignorance, Rowland had a feeling that the Duke had some clue that something happened regarding the Prince. “His presence isn’t safe for Lady Hannah,” Rowland said. “I’ll be happy when he’s gone.”

  The Duke didn’t look up from his musket. He aimed it at the sky, fiddling around with it as he said with a sigh, “I figured something might have happened. And I loathed to know exactly what. I fear I might do something to Prince Viktor if I do.”

  “That wouldn’t bode well for us,” Rowland mused grimly. He was content with just watching the Duke. He didn’t really care for hunting.

  “Nay, it would not. But…who’s to say that the Prince shouldn’t be punished for what he did?”

  Rowland’s brows shot upwards. “What do you mean, Your Grace?”

  The Duke looked at him, gaze darkening. For the first time since he arrived, Rowland became a little afraid of him. “I love my family, Rowland. And anyone who troubles my family will have me to contend with. Prince or no.” Then he went back to fiddling with his musket. Rowland watched as he took aim at something, fired, and then drew in a sharp breath, a clear indication that he missed. “Hannah is precious to me. She’s my first-born and…well, I wasn’t always in her life, not at the beginning. Yet she grew to be such a wonderful lady, despite everything she and her mother had been through. I can’t help being fiercely protective.”

  “I understand the feeling, Your Grace.”

  Rowland had idly raised his own musket before he realized his mistake—and froze. He had grown so comfortable in the Duke’s presence that he had let that slip out unintentionally. He peeked at the Duke to see that he was still aiming at the sky, not staring at him in question like Rowland expected him to be.

  But the Duke was a sharp man. “Now, what do you mean by that, Rowland?”

  Rowland struggled to think of something to say. It was clear from the Duke’s tone that he was already drawing his own conclusions. “Only that, Lady Hannah and I have become friends during my time here. I’d hate to see anything bad happen to her.”

  “Ah, is that it?” The Duke didn’t bother to hide his disappointment.

  Will it be so bad to tell him?

  Rowland wanted to court Lady Hannah. That much was clear to him. He didn’t want to hide his feelings for her, not even to her family. And though a large part of him wanted to hold on to the excitement of sharing their
affections in secret, he also wanted to love her out loud as well.

  “Your Grace,” Rowland began after clearing his throat. He deemed himself a good speaker, but now faced with this situation, he couldn’t think of what to say through the sudden nervousness.

  “Yes, Rowland?” the Duke said, lowering his musket to look at him.

  “I have developed feelings for Lady Hannah, and I would like to court her.”

  The Duke only stared at him for a moment longer before raising his musket again. “It’s about time you admitted it,” he said, hiding a smile.

  The Duke fired off a shot, then sighed when he missed again.

  Rowland was frowning at him in confusion when the Duke looked his way. “You knew?” he asked, incredulous.

  “Rowland, heavens, I think the whole manor knew you two fancied each other. You aren’t as stoic as you might think.”

  It wasn’t embarrassment that rushed through him at the thought of his feelings being known to everyone. Instead, he felt relief. That would make things much easier to explain, especially since the Duke seemed to be fine with the idea.

  “Does that mean you are giving me your blessing to court her, Your Grace?” Rowland asked, feeling nervous all of a sudden, which he tried his best to hide, hoping the Duke didn’t see just how frazzled he was now that the question was out in the open.

  “You have all my blessings,” said the Duke with an approving nod. “I said it myself, if you remember. I would love to see Hannah married and I believe you two would make a wonderful match.”

  “Then allow me to marry her, Your Grace.”

  The Duke lowered his musket, looking at him. Since coming out here, this was the first time Rowland saw him be utterly serious. “Pardon me?” he said.

  Rowland couldn’t believe he let the words pass his lips, and it was too late to take it back. Nor did he really want to, though he was aware of how quickly he was moving.

  Is it really that quick, though, seeing that I fell in love with her in such a short time?

  Everything about his feelings for Hannah was a fiery burst of passion and fervor. It felt only right to want to marry her. It was only natural for him to act on it, like he acted on every other one of his urges concerning her.

  “Allow me to marry her, Your Grace. I am officially asking you for her hand in marriage.”

  The Duke blinked at him once, slow and long. Then he lowered his musket gently to the ground and approached him. Rowland held his ground, squaring his shoulders and preparing himself for what was to come.

  “Do you love her, Rowland?” the Duke asked. “And before you give me a long speech about how lovely and beautiful she is, save it. She is my daughter so I know. I only want one simple answer from you. Do you love her, truly?”

  Rowland nodded, solemn. “I love her with everything within me.”

  The truth in those words scared him. But he didn’t let it show. Instead, he wanted the Duke to see his sincerity, just as he had seen how smitten he was with Hannah before.

  “My daughter has a soft heart, Rowland,” the Duke continued. “She’s strong and she’s stubborn but she cherishes those she loves with all her heart. Hannah wishes only to marry if she finds her true love. I hope that it’s you.”

  “Is that your approval, Your Grace?”

  The Duke grinned broadly and clapped a heavy hand on Rowland’s shoulder. “I should get used to calling you my son-in-law, shouldn’t I? Yes, yes. I give you my blessing. But it is up to Lady Hannah to decide if she wants to.”

  Rowland breathed a sigh of relief. That was one obstacle out of the way. Now, he only needed to think of the best way to ask Hannah herself for her hand in marriage.

  Despite how nervous it made him, the thought brought a smile to his face. Rowland had no idea if she would say yes, but this time when he proposed, he was going to make it impossible to refuse.

  Chapter 25

  Hannah didn’t bother to contain her excitement. It was no use. The mere thought of Rowland had her enthusiasm flaring up and she couldn’t help pacing around the hallways in charged delight.

  “Lady Hannah,” Lily called. She had been watching Hannah walk back and forth for a while now, wringing her hands nervously. “Please tell me what’s the matter. Did something happen?”

  “Something did happen, Lily,” Hannah said, unable to keep the smile off her face. It was so wide, so bright, that it frightened Lily when she whirled on her. “Something marvelous happened but…but I cannot say it.”

  Lily blinked rapidly. Hannah twirled away from her and peeked down the large staircase at the front door. Rowland and her father should be returning any moment now. Hannah grabbed her gown in nervous anticipation.

  “Are you waiting for Rowland, M’Lady?” Lily asked from behind her.

  Though Hannah knew Lily didn’t like Mr. Albertson, she didn’t bother to hide the truth and she nodded. Lily was her closest friend and though she didn’t plan on telling anyone the exact details of what happened last night, she still wanted to gush about him if only just a little bit.

  “Lily, I think Mr. Albertson is smitten with me.” To her alarm, Hannah couldn’t hold back the excited giggle.

  “Are you sure, M’Lady? His intentions…are you certain they are not impure?” Before Hannah could respond, Lily clasped her hands before her, hung her head and rambled on, “If I could speak freely, M’Lady, I truly do think he is bad for you. The way he held you at the stream and the way he looks at you…oh, I just know he has nothing but improper thoughts, M’Lady.”

  I love those improper thoughts. Improper thoughts corrupt my mind nearly every day.

  Of course, her mind was also filled with the warmth of her feelings, the knowledge that this wasn’t purely physical attraction but she was devoted to him emotionally as well. It was that emotion that had her peeking back at the door, hoping he would walk through any moment.

  “Oh, Lily, stop it,” Hannah said, waving off her words. “You know you are free to tell me whatever is on your mind, especially if you think it concerns my safety. But trust me when I say that Mr. Albertson is not what you think he is. He is kind and gentle and has not behaved untoward to me.”

  Or at least, nothing untoward that I didn’t want myself.

  Hannah looked over her shoulder to see that Lily still wasn’t convinced, but she was keeping it to herself. She sighed. “Lily, have you ever developed feelings for someone?”

  Lily’s head shot up. Hannah cocked her head to the side at the furious blush that enveloped her face. “I-I never, uh…”

  “I see that you have. Let me take a wild guess. Josef?”

  This time, Hannah feared Lily might actually develop a fever from how red her face became. “How did you…?”

  “I didn’t until just then, but it all makes sense now. You are always insisting on coming with me on my rides even though you despise it. And he always hangs around us when we return.”

  Lily was so embarrassed that she didn’t know what to say. Hannah waited her out, looking back at the door while she did. It was almost breakfast, so why weren’t they back as yet? Hannah had donned her best morning gown to impress him.

  “I do like him, M’Lady,” Lily admitted softly. “Even though we haven’t really said much to each other.”

  “If you like him, then I’m sure you can understand the position I’m in right now, can’t you?”

  Lily hung her head and nodded. “I suppose I do.”

  “Wonderful. Now, the next time you see him, why don’t you greet him? I’m sure it won’t hurt.”

  “Oh, never, M’Lady!” she said hurriedly. “I doubt he even notices me.”

  “Lily, you are a lovely girl. You’d be surprised how many of the male servants here notice you.”

  Lily blushed again, which made Hannah laugh. She looked back at the door just in time to see it open and her father’s booming laugh came drifting into the foyer. Hannah straightened her shoulders, waiting to see Rowland.

  He came in
behind the Duke, chuckling softly himself. They were empty-handed, having gotten rid of their muskets before coming into the manor. The Duchess was very strict about that. Neither of them noticed her peeking around the corner at the top of the stairs.

  They continued speaking to each other in low enough tones that Hannah couldn’t hear what was being said. Soon enough, they began making their way up the steps, no doubt to freshen up for breakfast. Hannah patted her hair, ensuring nothing was out of place, before she began making her way down the staircase.

  Rowland’s gaze landed on her instantly and darkened. She smiled at him, an innocent one that she hoped would stir the lust filling those beautiful brown eyes. His steps slowed as they approached each other.